


Outcasts

by Hoodedfigure18



Category: Once Upon a Time (TV)
Genre: Alternate Universe, Drama & Romance, F/F, Fairy Tale Curses, Friendship/Love, Orphans
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2018-01-29
Updated: 2018-02-06
Packaged: 2019-03-11 05:06:32
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 5
Words: 11,953
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/13517187
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Hoodedfigure18/pseuds/Hoodedfigure18
Summary: Regina and Emma are both orphans, left alone without love, or so they think. The only comfort is the love they discover, while growing up, for each other. But when Regina starts to show signs of magic and the caretakers find out about it, their love might get tested.





	1. Prologue

  **Prologue**

Once upon a time, in a faraway land where fairytales are reality, true love does exist, ending in a happy ever after, princess Snow White and prince Charming were expecting a baby. After nine intense months of pure happiness, Snow was ready to welcome her daughter into the world. The doctor had predicted she would be born soon, and Snow dreamily leaned against the doorpost that led to a small balcony. It was still early in the morning, even the sun wasn't fully awake yet, and she listened to the peaceful rustling of leaves and the faint chirping of a couple of bluebirds that lived in a nearby tree. If only she could feel at peace like that, but the anticipation of giving birth made her restless.

She looked down, and smiled, carefully stroking her round belly. Behind her, prince Charming woke up and blinked, marvelling at the sight of his beautiful wife in the pale morning light. "Good morning, my love," he whispered, but she heard it and turned her head.

"Good morning. I didn't wake you, did I? Our little princess didn't feel like sleeping any longer, and she urged me to get out of bed. It was worth it, the sunrise is gorgeous from up here," Snow said. She walked with difficulty to the bed and sat down on the edge. "I still haven't felt anything yet, though," she said, frowning worriedly.

Smiling, Charming gently lay his hands on her belly and kissed her. "Don't worry, the doctor assured us everything is fine. She'll come in her own time." He looked at her for a moment and took in her dark eyes, the eyes he had fallen in love with at first sight.

"David, you know that's not what I'm worried about. The curse, remember, I'm anxious it may come at a wrong moment. We don't know what Rumplestiltskin is up to, for all we know he might strike today, or tomorrow..."

"Yes, or in ten years or better yet he might as well not cast the curse. He is known for his cowardice. Running away is what he's best at," Charming said, taking both her hands and holding them against him. "By the way, even if it would happen, we have an egress. The wardrobe will take us all out of this place, and Gepetto knows his craft, it's going to work. Snow, _no-one_  can take away our happy ending, not as long as we're together. You, me and our child."

Still frowning, Snow sighed. "I admire your hope, David, but Rumplestiltskin is no longer a pauper, living on scraps of money, earned by weaving straw. He is the Dark One, he doesn't flinch from dark magic anymore. Ooh..." she gasped for air. "That was a solid kick."

"She'll be a strong girl," prince Charming said, before swinging his legs out of the bed. "Come on, my love, we've got a whole day ahead of us. The sun is shining, the birds are singing, and the forest is calling us."

"Duty, you mean," Snow said, cocking an eyebrow. "Or have you forgotten that you invited your father to come around today for business?"

"Aargh" Charming groaned. "I do despise these mandatory visits. The only thing he'll do, is patronise me and reprimand me for letting the kingdom deteriorate under my reign."

He put on his formal attire and looked at himself in the mirror. Snow appeared behind him, resting her arms on his shoulder. "Don't you look handsome?" she said. In the corridor downstairs the trumpeter announced king George's arrival, and all of a sudden the castle came to life. Maids came into the bedroom, carrying a small breakfast on silver plates, and a white dress with fine flowers for Snow White. Prince Charming glanced one last time at her, before heading into the hallway to welcome his father.

An hour later, Snow, Charming, king George and a few of his magistrates were seated around a large table, discussing an attack on the adjacent kingdom. Snow's mind was wandering off, not that these kind of conversations didn't interest her, but she thought again about her baby. Suddenly, she felt a little queasy and she stood up, excusing herself for the inconvenience. After a few steps however, she reached for a chair to support her. "David... I think she's coming!"

Charming rose from his chair and ran to her. He protectively lay his arms around her and supported her as well as he could. Slowly, they moved forward, but at that moment however, Grumpy, the dwarf who stood on one of the watchtowers noticed black smoke coming from the hills and he started to scream: "THE CURSE IS HERE, THE CURSE IS HERE!" He rang the alarm bell and Charming looked up, slightly panicked. There was no time to waste and he gave Snow a light push to go.

Together they shuffled through the corridors, back to their bedroom. She plunged herself onto the bed and whimpered as the contractions started. "David! Don't leave me!" she said. He was girding his sword and put two knives in his belt, readying himself to fend off the enemy. "Please, get Doc! Someone!" she screamed as the pain increased.

Her breath quickened. "I can't have this baby now! I can't!" she cried out, while Charming tried to calm her down. "Don't worry, I'll carry you to the wardrobe," prince Charming said, placing his hands under her knees and wrapping his arm under her shoulder.

"No, it's too late, we can't move her now. She's going to have to give birth here," Doc said. "Push, your majesty, push." Snow yelled and squirmed, sweat running down her forehead. "Push again, I can see her head!" David said, cupping his hands over the baby.

There she was. A perfect, chubby, little baby. Doc cleaned her with water and she started crying, then he bundled her up in a white blanket with a name knitted on it and gave her to the loving arms of Snow White. "Emma," she said hoarsely. Snow was instantly love-struck, but something dawned on her. "The wardrobe... It only takes one."

"Shh, it doesn't matter. We are together," Charming said softly.

"No, David. Take her..." Snow said, breathing heavily. "Take her to the wardrobe. She's our hope, she'll come for us, I believe she will." Aghast, Charming looked at her and answered. "Are you out of your mind?!"

"It's the only way, David, we have to send her. We  _have_  to believe she'll come for us one day. We have to give her her best chance!" Snow said, tears rolling down her cheeks. She lifted the baby up and kissed her one last time. "Goodbye, Emma. I love you," she whispered. Then she handed her over to her husband's arms and when he had left the room, sword at the ready, she wept in deep grief.

* * *

At the same time in a different realm, namely the world of Oz, another young mother awaited the birth of her second child. Although, this mother didn't exactly look forward to the birth of her baby, at least not like Snow had. No, in fact, she wanted to get it over with as quickly as possible. This woman was called Cora, and she lay panting on her bed as the minutes slowly ticked away. Next to her, on a chair, her first daughter, Zelena, sat, swinging her legs and sighing out of sheer boredom.

"Darling, it won't be long anymore," Cora said, stroking Zelena's red curls. Zelena wrinkled her nose in disgust. "Mummy, I don't want to be a big sister. Especially not if this sister isn't daddy's baby. And what if she'll have more magic than me... "

"Don't you worry about that, Zelena. No-one is going to replace you. I have come up with a brilliant plan. Did you fetch that basket for me?" Cora said, inhaling deeply.

Zelena jumped off the chair and pulled a large basket, filled with a blanket, from behind the bed. "Here, mum. What are you going to do with it?" She heaved it above her head and placed it at Cora's feet, before hopping onto her chair again. "Are you going to leave her in the forest, just like Hansel and Gretel's parents?"

"You are so clever, Zelena. Which makes me quite certain you really  _are_  my daughter," Cora said. She planted a kiss on Zelena's forehead, which made the little girl jerk away. "Yes, I am going to send her away. Far, far away. And, lucky me, I don't even have to do anything myself. The curse is coming, Zelena, and it will whisk away this baby in the blink of an eye."

Zelena laughed together with her mother. "That really is a brilliant plan, mum. But promise me, promise that she will never return to Oz. Promise that only I am wicked, and that wicked will always win, no matter what. Promise me, mum!" the girl said in earnest, raising her voice.

"Zelena, Zelena, what  _is_  going on in that little head of yours. This girl won't stand a chance, I promise... Hm... dear, go and get the midwife, I think the baby is finally coming."

Zelena hurried off on her skinny legs and when Cora was alone, she started talking to the unborn child. "Hm... I've got a name for you, do you know that? Regina, it's going to be. Regina Mills, after that good-for-nothing father of mine, who let me work my butt off so that he could have his fun." Cora spit on the floor. "Hear now, I want you to remember one thing... you're not wanted Regina, and if you've acquired only a little bit of my magical potential, you'll  _never_ be wanted, because the world where we are going isn't a place for people with magic. Hm!" Cora moaned. "Hold your horses! The midwife isn't here yet!"

Soon after, the midwife appeared, dressed in a dark cloak, carrying a pail of hot water and a bunch of towels. "Now, dear, are you still sure?" she asked, never taking the hood of her cloak off.

"I am, now... hm... do hurry up," Cora said between her teeth. The midwife came closer and placed a piece of wood in Cora's mouth. "Bite on this, if you'd feel the urge to scream. King Leopold is downstairs. I told him earlier you're unwell, but he might doubt your condition if he'd hear you. Now, push, Cora, as if your life depends on it."

An hour later, the midwife exited the bedroom, clutching the basket in her hands. She stealthily made her way through the halls and to the stables, where she mounted the quickest stallion of the bunch and rode off in the night. When she arrived at an open place in the forest, she pulled out on of the magic beans, Cora had given her.  _Just back and forth,_ she thought and threw it on the floor. Instantly, a portal opened and she forced the horse to go through it. She was already a bit late.

The horse ran into an open field and the portal closed behind them. The sky was clear and hundreds of stars flickered in the night, only disturbed by the black smoke that steadily drew near. The midwife cursed and quickly placed the basket on the ground. She checked if the baby was unscathed, swathed her in another blanket with her name on it, and mounted her horse again. One last time, she looked at the baby's round, curious eyes, before leaving her on her own devices. With the black smoke on her heels, she kicked the horse in the sides and threw the second bean on the earth. She was gone in a flash, and the black smoke enshrouded the baby.


	2. Chapter 1

**Chapter 1**

"You're up late, Rigel?" Poppy Channe said from behind her desk. She looked up from the computer screen, taking off her red glasses. "Still working at..." she said, checking her watch. "... hm eight o'clock? Strange, I would have sworn it was midnight just earlier. Anyways, what are you still doing here?"

"Poppy, you won't believe me, but you know I brought in this wee girleen this afternoon, don't you? Well, on me way home, I was walking by a small patch full of shrubbery and I heard the faintest cries. I went to see what it was and look," Rigel Hunter said, nodding at the basket that hung over his arm. "another wee little baby, another girl."

Poppy came round her desk and peeked into the basket. "Awe, she's really cute! I'm thinking she's a newborn baby, she's so tiny," Poppy said, admiring the sleeping baby girl. "I always find it sad, you know. I can't imagine how hard it must be to leave your child behind like that... Well, I'll go and get a nurse, she'll need to be taken care of."

A few moments later, Poppy appeared with a young woman, no older than 23 behind her. Rigel looked askance at her timid posture, but didn't say anything. "Fey, would you be so kind to gently place this little one in the separate nursery? I believe there is room next to the girl called Emma. And make sure she's well covered, well fed and with a nappy on this time. I won't clear up the mess again."

The young woman nodded vigorously and slowly lifted the baby out of the basket. Rigel and Poppy both watched her stumbling along the corridor, and when she was out of sight, Poppy said apologetically: "She was the only nurse available. I'm a little concerned for her, because she's a trainee, but she isn't doing all too well."

"Everyone has to learn at first, Poppy... I'll hope the girls will be fine, though. I suppose they won't stay here, will they?" Rigel asked, worriedly furrowing his brow.

"I'm afraid not, they'll move to an orphanage soon if no-one picks them up," Poppy said, crossing her arms. "Maybe I can arrange it that they'll be placed in the same orphanage. At least they'll have each other?" she suggested, looking at Rigel. "Or you could take them in?"

Rigel smiled sadly. "I would, but I'm not ready to be a parent yet, and definitely not of two girls at once. Perhaps if I would have got my life on the rails by now, I might've considered it. Now, I'll go home for real. You're looking fabulous tonight, by the way," he said with a wink, while walking backwards to the sliding doors.

Poppy blushed and waved him goodbye. She was only a secretary, but she was intrigued by the two babies. Given away on the same day, found on the same day, perhaps even born on the same day? Who dared saying fate didn't exist? Just before closing time, she made a little detour to the nursery.

Using the light from her phone, she tiptoed through the room, shining her weak torch on the name plaques.

When she found the cribs, she shook her head and whispered to herself: "Unbelievable. Next to Emma, and Fey has literally put her next to Emma." But when Poppy looked more closely, she saw something that melted her heart and made her forget about the mistake.

The two girls lay facing each other and they'd both wrapped their tiny fingers around the other's hands in a way that no-one could come between them.

Seven years later

"Hey, psst," Regina whispered. She was balancing on the edge of the bunk, clasping the safety rail with one hand and gently shaking Emma with the other. It was early in the morning, and outside it was still dark. "Emma? Are you awake?" she asked a little bit louder, jumping up when the boy in the abutting bed snorted and turned over in his sleep.

"Hm? I wasn't, but now I am, I guess," Emma said dozily. "What time is it? It's still dark. What are you up to?" Regina clambered the small ladder and sank down next to her. "An adventure. Look, I've got a key."

"For what? What does it open?" Emma asked, suddenly curious. "Did you find a treasure chest, like in the story they told us at school? Because that would be dull. Or... did you find a chest with a ripped out heart in it? Like in the fairy tale book, with the Evil Queen?"

"No... it's not for any chest. But it is for the forbidden section. It is our birthday, which means we can have one birthday wish, and since they usually never get granted, let's take action ourselves. Let's finally see what Mother Superior has to hide over there," Regina said, beckoning Emma to follow her.

"Do you really think that's a smart idea? I think it's 'forbidden' for a reason. Probably to secure old books and stuff that we, children, are not supposed to touch," Emma said, grabbing Regina's arm. "We could get in serious trouble for this. Even if it is our birthday."

"Come on. We did things before without getting caught. Where is my partner in crime?" Regina asked, pulling herself free from Emma's grasp. "It's only down the corridor. And there's plenty of time, why do you think I woke you so early?"

"All right, I'll come," Emma said, landing softly on her two feet as she jumped from the ladder.

Stealthily they moved along the walls in their pyjamas and barefoot, keeping their eyes skinned for any of the nuns, who might roam the corridors. Once in the library, they dispersed and moved Bond-wise to the locked door at the far end of the library. With Emma on the lookout, Regina put the key in the lock and turned it. The door gave a click and swung open. A musty smell drifted into the hallway and they wrinkled their noses.

"Phew... who knew books could smell so rotten" Emma said, waving her hand in front of her face. "Remind me again why I didn't stay in bed?"

"Because we're friends, right? You have my back and I have yours," Regina said with a little smile, moving forward into the semi-darkness. Emma sighed, "Sure, but being friends doesn't mean I don't want to get breakfast in a few hours, especially on my birthday, when there's a chance of getting scrambled eggs instead of tooth-breaking, burnt toast..." she muttered, nevertheless following Regina inside, and closing the door behind her.

"If you don't shush it now, Mother Superior is going to scramble something, but it's not going to be eggs," Regina hissed, glowering at Emma and putting her finger on her lips.

"What is so exciting about this place anyway?" Emma asked, walking closely behind Regina, who was perusing the titles on the shelves. Regina wheeled around and said: "Take a look at the titles. These are all books from the Middle Ages or from before that, apparently this used to be an abbey or a monastery. Something religious, in any case. Who knows what we'll find?"

Emma arched an eyebrow and shifted her gaze to the spines of the leather-bound books. "Confiding In The True Religion? Sounds Of The Apocalyps? Kings And Their Royal Ancestors? Heathen Philosophy?" I said, tilting my head sideways to read the titles that she passed by. "I think I like Snow White and the seven dwarfs better... Hey, where are you?"

"Here. You're reading the wrong titles," Regina said, from behind another shelf. "These books are worth looking at. I believe they're called 'grimoires', books with recipes for potions, or incantations to heal people. Perhaps, if we keep looking we might find real magic spell-books in here."

"What use would it be? If we wanted to try out them out, we'd need, I don't know 'magic'?" Emma said, walking around the corner of the bookshelf. "Why get your hopes up, Gina? These types of books are fictional."

Regina walked on, concentrating on the books that sat on the highest shelf, until she noticed one that was significantly smaller than the others.

"Can you give me a leg up? That one looks interesting," Regina said, pointing towards the black book. Emma groaned, "Really?" but she already bent her knees, holding her hands together.

Carefully, supporting herself on the bookcase, Regina put her feet on Emma's hands. She still couldn't reach high enough, even with her arm fully stretched out. "Emma, I can't reach it," Regina whispered. "Can you lift me higher?"

Emma grunted and breathed heavily, as she tensed her muscles, heaving Regina in the air. "Got it!" Regina said a little too enthusiastically. She put back her foot, and Emma collapsed. With a loud crash, they both tumbled down to the floor and hit the bookcase behind them.

"Auch," Emma said, rubbing her back. Regina didn't have time to recover, because suddenly the door opened wide. One of the nuns strode into the forbidden section. Regina quickly put the small book under her arm pit, and a second later she was grasped by her collar.

"What do you think you're doing up in the middle of the night, Regina Mills, let alone sneaking around in the forbidden section? And you, Emma, I thought better of you! To bed with you, immediately, and be assured, Mother Superior will know of this! No breakfast for you!" she said sternly, pushing them both to the exit.

"But it's our birthday!" Emma retorted, making a sour face while walking back to the dormitory. "You should've thought of that before you started snooping around. You two are the bloody oldest of this orphanage and still you don't know how to behave yourselves!" the nun answered angrily, following them up to the door.

Emma slouched back to her bed, shoulders slumped and in a bad temper. She lay down and pulled the sheets tightly over her shoulder. "Thanks a lot, Regina, for ruining our birthday... and it's not even day yet!" she whispered.

Regina crouched under her duvet as well, her face towards the wall and whispered back: "I'm sorry..."

"Don't talk to me anymore! I'm angry with you!" Emma answered, jerking and leaning face-down over the rail of her bunk to look at Regina.

"Please continue to point out the obvious" Regina said into her pillow.

"I can still hear you!" Emma said between her teeth.

"Now, look who's talking?" Regina said, slapping against the springs of the bed above her.

"Just stop it!" Emma said irritably.

"Be quiet you two!" the nun hissed, opening the door again."You've caused enough trouble already for today! That'll be extra chores for you. Consider it a birthday present," she smirked, as she shut the door.

Frustrated, Emma tugged at her blanket and pulled her teddybear closer under her arm. She stared at the blank wall until she fell asleep again.

Regina was too wired to fall asleep, and she slowly pulled out the book she'd kept hidden under her nightdress. As the pale morning light started seeping through the makeshift shutters, she eagerly started reading as a tingling sensation ran through her.


	3. Chapter 2

**Chapter 2**

One year later

"Children! Rise and shine! It is a big day today! Some of you will meet their future parents!" Mother Superior said, chiming a bell while striding into the hall of the dormitories, accompanied by the whole team of nuns. She clapped loudly in her hands and the sound resonated against the high ceilings, echoing all the way through the orphanage. "Everyone out of bed in two minutes!"

There was a bustle, the nuns threw open the heavy, beige curtains and cold sunlight danced through the windows. "Now, Peter, don't say you wet your bedlinen again! Now, you can go and wash it out yourself!" one nun said to a skinny boy with curly hair, who was crying he didn't do it on purpose.

"Didn't I say, you're not making camps with the bedsheets! And what is this? A camp!" another nun said to a group of children who'd tied the sheets as a roof over their beds. "But that no camp! Is a tipi!" a young girl exclaimed, hissing a little because of the front tooth she'd lost. "I don't care. Break it down, now!"

"I want everyone shipshape at precisely 4 o'clock this afternoon! Which means that every inch of this place should be spick and span, that the older kids make sure that the toddlers are on their best behaviour and that everyone wears their Sunday's best! Is that understood?" Mother Superior asked, narrowing her eyes and gazing at the children as they all lined up next to the bunks.

"Yes, Mother Superior," everyone said in unison. Everyone except Regina and Emma. While everyone had been promptly awakened by the bell, they had been so fast asleep that they hadn't noticed anything of the morning rush.

"Well, well... apparently two of your colleagues rather slept some more, instead of joining you to work. Isn't that a pity?" Mother Superior said, while slowly walking in the direction of their bunk.

"Because you see, if they don't want to work today, other people will have to fill in for them. That's how it works. At the end of the day, every chore must be done. But who will? Any volunteers?... No? Well, then, let's make it easier for you...Give me my list," she snapped at a nun who was standing in her vicinity.

"Let's see...," she said, flicking through the name list. "Ellie, Finn and Einar, you're scrubbing the floor of the entrance hall... Not a sound," she tutted as they started protesting. "Maude, Eléonore, Arthur and Thomas, you're doing the toilets today. Livia and Matthew, the front door needs a thorough lick of paint, and Elise and Lucas will clean up the cellar... and when all of that is done, you can join the others," she said, which made the children sigh. "What? You didn't think these would replace your other chores, did you?" she gasped incredulously.

"Now, what are you still standing here for? Get to work!" she said, snapping her fingers. All the children quickly marched out of the room, their heads slightly bowed down as they passed by Mother Superior. The nuns followed in neat rows, leaving Mother Superior alone with Regina and Emma. All of a sudden, she lost her composure and shook Emma roughly by the shoulders.

"Wake up! No sleeping beauties in my orphanage!" she yelled in Emma's ear. Regina sat up in confusion, wiping the sleep out of her eyes. Mother Superior's face appeared close to hers, "That also goes for you, lazybones!"

Scared, Regina stammered, "W-what did we do, ma'am?" Mother Superior shot her a cold glance. "Nothing, dear, absolutely nothing," she said with a false smile. "But you see, that's the problem."

She snatched away Regina's teddybear and in a fit of unexpected rage, she dragged her out of bed. "You stand over there! And you', she turned her head to Emma, who was coming down, trembling from head to toe, "next to her!"

"Revolting troublemakers, you are. Revolting, Emma, do you know what that means? Do you?!" she asked severely, raising her voice. Emma looked at her feet, unable to speak. Regina looked up defiantly, and said: "I do. It means 'disgusting', 'loathsome', 'repulsive', 'abominable'..."

"Aren't you a know-it-all!" Mother Superior said, slapping her in the face. "I don't recall asking you to recite the dictionary for me... but indeed, 'revolting'. Now, I'll repeat my little speech from earlier, because I'm so very generous. Today, a few couples are coming, because some children are adopted, so it's a special day, and a special day, means a clean house. But don't worry about it, your friends are already taking care of your chores," she said, smiling darkly.

"What I've got in store for you that will leave you both speechless, trust me. Come,' she said, beckoning them to follow her. Emma exchanged a worried glance with Regina. She was still whimpering because of the slap in the face, her cheek all red, and Emma wanted to comfort her, but there wasn't time. Mother Superior's legs were already disappearing around the corner, so they both hurried after her.

Mother Superior took her coat and looked in satisfaction at the children who were polishing the floor, before opening the front door, through which an ice-cold gust of wind entered the mansion. Regina and Emma, who were still in their nightdresses, shivered and braced themselves.

"Girls, this is your lovely surprise," she said, waving around in the open air, "The drive needs weeding, and it needs it now. Here's your pail. By noon I'll inspect and I won't be pleased when I see another spot of green sticking out of the gravel. Have fun!"

Appalled, Regina and Emma looked at each other, while their breathe condensed into little clouds of smoke. Behind them the door shut, and Emma said, shaking and rubbing her hands over her bare arms: "She wouldn't leave us here for hours in the cold, would she? She can't be that bad!"

"Emma, didn't you see how she whacked me in the face in there? She is that bad! Stop having so much faith in her! It won't magically turn her into your fairy godmother," Regina snapped.

"Why do you have to yell at me? It makes the whole situation even worse!" Emma snapped back with a quiver in her voice.

"I'm sorry Emma... I didn't mean to," Regina said, lowering her voice. "Let's just get to work, shall we? Before we freeze to death?"

With chattering teeth and shivering all over, Regina and Emma dispersed and squatted down on the gravel path, only a pail and silence between them. Their thin fingers groped for the small weeds that lay hidden between the pebbles and pulled them out systematically until they were completely numb.

"Shall I sing?" Emma asked, breaking the silence after a while, as she blew on her cold fingers to warm them. Her voice was carried by the wind to Regina and from the other side of the path, she turned around and frowned.

"No, thank you. I rather listened to the swans squawking on the riverbank behind the shrubs over there. Doesn't make much of a difference, anyway."

"Wow... instead of Regina, they'd better called you Grumpy..." Emma mumbled, plucking another weed and tossing it into the bucket.

"I heard that."

Looking out in front of her, Emma tilted her head, smiled a little and said: "That was the meaning, idiot." She threw a lump of grass in Regina's direction and it landed exactly on top of her head. Bits of wet earth fell on her neck and slipped into her nightdress.

"Ew... EMMA!" Regina cried out, before chucking a piece of grass to her face. Emma dodged it and laughed. "Emma, that's a challenge... and bet on it, you're going down," Regina said, while running to grab some new munition out of the pail. This generated a new fit of giggles and Emma ran down the path, Regina on her heels.

They ran all the way to the end of the drive and because Emma couldn't return the same way she'd come, she ran barefoot into the dewy grass. Completely out of breath, Regina stopped at the edge of the grass and looked at Emma. Suddenly, she saw something she hadn't before. She noticed how the orange-yellow sunlight shone on Emma's face and how her golden hair seemed to make the light even more refulgent, swinging around with every step. The sound of her laugh made her smile and it clattered in the most magical way. Somehow, it made her insides squirm, but she couldn't exactly understand why. The idea of love was still unknown to her. One thing was abundantly clear, though, she had never noticed a similar feeling within herself.

"Hey, slowpoke! Are you still coming?" Emma called, almost at the other end of the neatly-trimmed field. Regina seemed to awake from her daze and said, "I'm not finished with you!" before treading on the wet grass.

Just when she was close, the front door flung open, and an incensed Mother Superior came their way, partly walking and partly running, the latter being quite hard with her heels. Regina and Emma turned their heads and gasped, they couldn't pretend, because they had strayed too far off of the gravel path. "What on earth do you think you're doing?!" Mother Superior yelled, her eyes two burning coals.

"We.. er... we were just..." Regina began, biting her lip. "We were just checking if this patch of grass didn't have any weeds, ma'am, because we thought you said that everything should be neat and tidy," Emma helped, smiling innocently at Mother Superior.

Mother Superior looked suspiciously from one to the other, searching for some reason to lash out at them, but seeing the full pail, she couldn't find any, so she grumbled: "Go clean yourselves up, there is soup."

Before Mother Superior could say anything else, Regina and Emma scurried off to the door, glimpsing mischievously at each other. Regina mouthed 'thank you' and held her thumbs up.

"Children, line up, line up, the moment has come! I will now reveal who's been adopted and will momentarily meet their future parents" Mother Superior said, holding up her list. Emma looked anxiously at Regina, crossing her fingers. "This system really reminds me of an animal shelter... don't you think?" she whispered in Regina's ear.

"Thomas Anderson, Maya, Freya Madden, Emma..." Emma hopefully looked up, but Mother Superior smirked and continued, "... Fawkes, Neal, Ophelia and Lea Bloom. Please pick up your things from the dormitory, older children, help the small ones, and move yourselves to the antechamber! That was all, now the rest to your places and remember, be happy" she said, as the children instantly disbanded to their appointed places and activities.

"Regina, Emma, I said be happy, which, for your information, means smile," she said between her teeth, squatting down in front of them. Regina shot her a nasty glance, while placing her hand on Emma's back, because she was upset, and said: "Ma'am, if you would give me a reason to smile, I would, but I'm afraid your face alone won't suffice."

For the second time that day, Regina received a hard slap in the face, but this time she set her jaw and endured the pain. "Stupid child! I don't know what will become of you two, but let me remind you of something, this orphanage only provides a home for so long. Soon, I will be able to kick you out, and then you'll be left to your own devices in the big, big world, and believe me, that day is going to be the best day of my whole life," Mother Superior spat, her face all red. "Now go to your place!"

In the antechamber, excitement hung in the air amongst the children who were old enough to realise what was happening. Emma also sat there, pretending to be interested in a book that Mother Superior had stuffed into her hands. She was sulking and jealously watched the other children with their little suitcases. The doorbell rang and Mother Superior greeted the first couple. They were a little bit older, around 40 and they already had two girls of their own.

"Thomas, dear, meet your new parents," Mother Superior said, feigning a warm smile. "It's always hard to let them go after I've nourished them and took care of them for so long, you know," she said to the woman, who nodded in understanding.

"Hello, little one, my name is Ella," the woman said, crouching down to his height. "I'm going to be your mother now, and these your new sisters. It's a lot to take in, isn't it?"

"Why don't you go the other guest room to get used to each other a little bit?" Mother Superior suggested. She showed them the way, as the doorbell rang again.

Six couples in total passed by that afternoon. Only baby Neal was left, wriggling and cooing on the couch next to Emma. When it was almost evening, the doorbell rang at last. Mother Superior opened up. "Candide? What are you doing here?"

"I've adopted a child, Mother Superior, is that so surprising?" Candide asked, taking hold of her handbag. "Can I come in?"

Mother Superior nodded and let her in, saying: "It's the door on the right." The young woman made her way to the anteroom and immediately smiled when she saw the little boy. Then, she noticed Emma, and Emma noticed her. She had short brown hair, soft brown eyes and a colourful attire that said 'I'm a kind person.'

Candide smiled at her, and because Mother Superior hadn't appeared yet, she asked: "And who are you?" Emma shrugged, because she wasn't allowed to talk. "Cat got your tongue?"

Emma shook her head, and tried sign language. Candide arched an eyebrow, but understood. "You're quite old to be in an orphanage, aren't you?" Candide asked, pitying the girl. "Seven? Eight?..." Emma nodded. "Eight... You know, eight years ago I lost my own daughter, that's why I decided to adopt this little one... oh! But if you're eight, that means you're going to be in my class next year! I'm so looking forward -"

"Emma, Emma, look what I found in the garden!" Regina shouted, barging into the anteroom. "Oh... sorry for interrupting." Candide smiled and looked from Emma to Regina. "Emma huh? And you are?"

"Regina Mills, ma'am. I'm so sorry, I thought she was alone, and I found a living chick in the garden, that probably fell out of the nest, that I wanted to show her," Regina said, looking down.

"A chick... show us, maybe I can raise it?" Candide said, beckoning Regina. At that moment, Mother Superior entered the room, and she narrowed her eyes when she saw Regina standing and talking to her 'client'. "Regina... dear, don't you have somewhere else to play? Hm? And Emma, you two darling."

Regina handed the small chick over to Candide, who promised her she would look after it, before Emma thankfully grasped Regina's arm. Together they hurried to the dormitory, where Emma collapsed onto her bed and started crying.

"Emma, what's wrong? Oh... I get it," Regina said worriedly, climbing onto the bed. She pulled Emma in a hug and cried with her. "It's OK, you'll see, one day someone will come for us. And I'm sure that our mothers... our parents... that they loved us. That they gave us our best chance."

Emma looked up, her tear-stained face close to Regina's. "At least I still got you," she sniffed. "You're the best friend in the world, do you know that?"

"I do..." Regina softly whispered.

"I wish I was dead, Regina... Anything is better than this, even hell," Emma sighed, but Regina took her hands and lifted her chin. "Emma, if you wouldn't be here, I would hurt so badly... You know that story I used to read to you when we were five, about the ugly duckling? We are that ugly duckling for now, but one day, we'll grow up to be gracious swans and we'll find where we belong."

"It sounds like you're talking about hope," Emma snivelled.

"Something you taught me all those years ago."


	4. Chapter 3

 

**Chapter 3**

_One year later: 1 September 1994_

The moment the school bell rang, Regina and Emma hurried to the classroom, eager for their first day of school in Miss Candide Elgin's class. Ever since her visit to the orphanage a year prior to that, they had been looking forward to it, because they had both felt something peculiar that day. They had met kindness for the first time in their lives.

The other children slowly shuffled through the corridor, not understanding what Regina and Emma's enthusiasm was all about, because they had rather had another a longer summer holiday. From the other side of the corridor, Miss Elgin walked to their classroom, chatting with the teacher of the sixth grade, Timothy Beetle.

"What do you think we'll discuss today? Do you think she'll start with an English literature class?" Emma asked, her eyes sparkling and her cheeks flushed in excitement.

"That would be so great! I wonder what the curriculum will be! Or maybe we'll start with algebra or euclidean geometry?" Regina answered, equally thrilled at the idea of learning new things.

"What is alg..algeobra..?" a boy asked, who was standing in their proximity. Regina shot him a non-understanding glance and said: "Algebra. Only a huge part of mathematics? Surely you've heard of the quadratic equation and its formula? ax^2 + bx + c = 0? And  _that's_  only basic algebra. Then there are functions you can solve, such as the rational functions, the polynomial, the-"

The boy was baffled and stared at her with an open mouth, before turning his back to her and going back to his friends. Regina straightened up and sighed. Emma smiled at her and put a comforting hand on her shoulder. "Don't worry about it, it's perfectly normal to solve algebraic functions."

"It's not like it's  _that_  difficult..." Regina mumbled. At that very moment, Miss Elgin opened the door of the classroom and noticed the duo.

"Well, hello. I'm really glad to see you, I hope you're ready for a whole year of fun?" she asked, turning the key in the lock, and holding the door open for the children to enter. They all jostled each other out of the way to get the best spots. "Everyone, choose a seat in peace! There's plenty of room, no need to rush."

The children hung their bags and rucksacks on the hook at the sides of their tables and sat down in a seat of their own choice. Regina and Emma sat down next to each other, close to the window. Miss Elgin was all smiles, and she started of by distributing booklets in various colours. "These will be your diaries, and I know this concept is quite new to you, but I would like to encourage you to use it and to be creative with it. Make these notebooks your own creations."

"I know you're also still in a holiday mood, so why don't we begin with a little ice-breaker? I want to know about you, so here are sheets of paper and I want you to write your names on it, your hobbies, where you come from, if you have siblings, your favourites subjects, what you've done during the summer, and if you have suggestions to make this year even more pleasant, I would also love to hear about them as well. Ten minutes for that and then we'll listen to each other," Miss Elgin said very gently, handing out pieces of paper of a light pink shade.

Eagerly, the children took out a pencil or pen and began scribbling whole essays about their lives. Emma and Regina looked at each other questioningly and shrugged, writing down only a few key words in bullets. When the ten minutes were over, Miss Elgin clapped her hands and pointed to a girl in the back to start telling what she'd written down.

"My name is Maddy, and I have two little sisters, a twin actually. I'm from the city. My parents also have a house at the East Coast, so we went to the beach this summer, because I love swimming and the sun and I got a few new dresses with dots in different colours, and I also got new toys this summer and I would like to jump on trampolines this year, because I never did that and I also want a pony, but maybe I'll get one, my daddy said," she rattled off.

"Great, Maddy, very good! Sounds like you had an excellent summer! I don't think we can go jumping on trampolines, but I can always ask. Mind, though, and this is important for everyone in this class, that it's I've never  _done_  instead of I never  _did_." Some children moaned. "Yes, I'm afraid we'll have to look at some spelling and grammar this year as well. Now who's next?"

For almost three quarters this went on, and at long last it was Emma's turn. She looked confidently at Miss Elgin and said: "I'm Emma Swan and I'm from the local orphanage, which implies that I didn't really go anywhere this summer. Most of the time, both during the holidays and as a regular pastime, I like to play outside with Regina, or stay inside and read books. So far, I can't say I've had a favourite subject, because the subject that I would enjoy is not in the curriculum. It would be English literature. And that's it."

"Thank you, Emma! That was a very well structured introduction of yourself, good job," Miss Elgin complimented Emma. "And English literature you say? Do you have a suggestion as to which books you would like to discuss?" she asked, quite astonished.

"Well... I'm currently into poetry... Shakespeare, Keats, and Wordsworth..." Emma said, turning a little red.

"Oh, wow... I thought you were going to say 'Mathilda' or 'The Giver' or maybe some fantasy trilogy, but not that... Well, we can have a poetry class, that would be something entirely new. Yes, I support that... er.. And now, the last?"

"My name is Regina Mills, and just like Emma I live in the orphanage and I spend most of my time with her. This summer I also read a lot, about all kinds of subjects, such as the history of England and the US in fact. My favourite subject would be maths, which also leads to my question: Will we discuss algebra this year? Because I've been having a little trouble with complex numbers."

Surprised, Miss Elgin answered: "Complex numbers? That's something you see in advanced mathematics in 10th grade... Well, if you want to discuss complex numbers, I can definitely arrange something for you, I'm sure, but it's not an everyday request."

The other children had started to talk, clearly bored by whatever it was that they had to say. Advanced maths or Keats wasn't exactly their field of interest. "OK, kids, now that the introductions are over, it is time to go outside and enjoy the last bits of sunshine, while I'm going to read you a book. So, grab you coats, and let's go."

Ten minutes later, the kids were all settled outside in the warm September sun, some in the shadow of a tree, others sunbathing to their heart's desire, while Miss Elgin was sat on a chair in front of the group, a book on her lap. It was a book of fairytales, and most of the children were hanging on her every word, except Emma and Regina who were lying flat on their bellies, counting the haulms in front of them.

Regina was conflicted; on the one hand, she didn't want to fall in disgrace from day one onwards, but on the other hand, it was hard focusing on the story, when she had read these stories so many times herself, out loud to Emma and the other orphans and in silence when she was five.

Emma was inwardly reciting sonnets by Charlotte Smith, and didn't worry so much about grace or disgrace, letting her thoughts wander into every direction it wanted to go. Being outside was enough to trigger her restless mind; the way the sunlight was percolated through the leaves, the way the same leaves rustled on the breeze, the tickling sensation of the grass, the clouds that slowly rolled by, it was all entertaining.

They both jumped up, when Miss Elgin shut the book. "And while the curse was washing over them, it has turned twelve, which means it's time for your break. This afternoon, I expect you back here, because we're going to make a little trip. Regina and Emma, can I talk to you for a moment?"

Expecting a reprimand, because they had refused to pay attention, the drew near like whipped dogs, their heads bowed down and their hand folded together behind their backs. In unison, they said: "We're terribly sorry, Miss Elgin."

The teacher furrowed her brow and laughed when she understood. "Girls, don't worry, I won't punish you. That's not my style anyway." The girls looked up in surprise mingled delight. "No, what I wanted to ask you is why you are still in primary school?"

"Because no-one ever asked us that question, I suppose," Emma answered.

"But don't tell me that none of my colleagues in previous years have never noticed that they had two brilliant pupils in their classes, because it's obvious that  _we_  can't teach you anything anymore," Miss Elgin said, while sitting down on her knees.

"It's still educative, being around children of our own age. You know, for our social development," Regina said.

Miss Elgin cocked an unbelieving eyebrow, and said: "Come on, don't tell me you aren't wasting your talents over here! I mean, I can see that you're both bored, and that fairytales no longer inspire you the same way they inspire the other kids."

Emma and Regina shrugged at the same time, they were used to it and it was their way to hold on. Ignorance is bliss. Regina said: "It's OK, Miss Elgin, we are used to it, and if we want to learn, we go to the library."

"But is there anything I can do for you? Because... I can't do a lot in the classroom, but maybe outside of it?" Miss Elgin asked kindly and worriedly.

"No, it's fine.  _We're_  fine. Thank you, though," Emma said, giving Miss Elgin a lopsided smile. "We appreciate your concern."

"OK then, but know that I'm very willing to listen if anything is off. That's my job... now, I imagine you're both hungry and want to enjoy your break, so I won't hold you up any longer. But one thing more: I meant it what I said in class about the poetry seminar and the advanced maths. If I make promises I tend to keep them." Miss Elgin said, smiling back at them.

They both nodded gratefully, before running off to the canteen. Miss Elgin watched them go and noticed that in her heart, she had already fully embraced the girls and that she might have had a soft spot for them ever since she'd first seen them in the orphanage.

* * *

"OK, children, who can guess where we'll go?" Miss Elgin asked, as she was herding the bunch of children together. "Yes, Nigel?"

"Is it a theme park?" a boy with a red plaid shirt. Miss Elgin answered: "No, that would be fun, wouldn't it? But Grimmyth doesn't have a theme park, and the closest one is all the way to New York State, which is a bit far to go to on foot in one afternoon. Any other guesses?"

"A museum?" another boy asked. This one had glasses and suitcase brown suspenders on top of a fancy white shirt. "You know, my father is director of the an important department of the London National."

Regina snorted and rolled her eyes. "And my mother is the pope..." she scoffed. "Braggart..." she added under her breath.

"Now, Regina, that's not the nicest thing to say," Miss Elgin remarked, but her eyes twinkled. "Well, if no-one can guess where we're going I can as well just say it myself: we are going to visit the local hospital, and more specifically the wing where people reside when they have some mental issues, such as depression. So, let's get going, shall we?"

In rows of two, the children made their way along the quiet streets of Grimmyth. Regina and Emma were walking at the end of the procession, discussing mental health.

"Did you know that suicide is the ninth leading cause of death in the whole of Maine? I read that every thirty-nine hours someone dies, which is, all things considered, a lot," Emma said, digging her hands in the pockets of her jacket.

"Surprising, because the rates of depression aren't that high I'd say. It's an average of four percent... Of course it would be better if this could be reduced to, say, one point five percent... but still, compared to people dying from heart disease or car crash, it isn't that much," Regina considered.

After a twenty-minute walk, the group arrived at the Grimmyth Hospital and after Miss Elgin announced their arrival, they were welcomed by a doctor with funky glasses.

"Hello, children, my name is Leonard Shelley, and I am a psychiatrist. Do you all know what a psychiatrist is?" the man asked, and most children shook their heads. "Let me tell you, then a psychiatrist is-"

"A medical whose job it is to diagnose or treat people with mental illnesses. Usually psychiatry is a specialisation of the Health Education Master, whereas psychology is a separate study at university, which means that a psychiatrist can work in hospitals as opposed to psychologists," Emma interjected.

"Er... yeah, that is correct, young lady. Well, then, I think we better start the tour. Follow me, please," Leonard said, beckoning the kids.

"These are all regular rooms, more or less similar to flats, where people with minor mental issues stay for a while until they feel comfortable enough to go back to their proper homes, here is an empty one where you can have a look," he said, stopping by an open door.

"Over here is where the people come together to have a chat and eat. And over there are the special rooms, where people come to talk to people like me, when they're feeling low... now we're moving to a few rooms that are not always so lovely to watch, because sometimes people start raging and become a danger to both other people and themselves. And the only thing we can do is lock them up for a while," Leonard said, while walking ahead, pointing to several doors at once.

Suddenly a young man passed by, dressed in pyjamas. His shoulders were slouching and he looked wearily from the group of children to Leonard. He seemed confused, but the moment he noticed Miss Elgin, something changed in his face.

"Morning, doctor," he uttered, still looking at Miss Elgin, who was equally intrigued by the man. "Morning, Basil. Are you feeling well?"

"Yeah, just strolling..." Basil answered absent-mindedly, his eyes glazed and looking into nothingness. "Take a good look, children, this is what happens to a man when he starts drinking and ends up in the gutter. You don't want this," he said, before walking away.

"What is wrong with him, doctor?" Miss Elgin asked, watching the man's back. "Oh, he... he's got a few problems. As far as I know, he started drinking right after his wife died and his father. Lost a child a few years before that. Gambled his money, ended up being depressed, and tried to hang him several times. Doesn't have any other family, so I think it's understandable in his situation..." Leonard said, his voice trailing off.

"Oh, poor man... it must be awful to be deprived of  _all_  your loved ones... I mean... I've hit rock bottom when I lost my child, but I still had my mom and my other family..." Miss Elgin said, but her attention was drawn to two girls who were having a row in the middle of the corridor, pulling each other's hair. "Girls! Don't do that!"

"So... according to statistics, one of our group is going to end up in that cell," Regina mumbled, looking through the window. Emma looked at her, but didn't say anything.

"OK, children, say goodbye to doctor Shelley, because it's time for us to go back to school, or your parents will be angry at me for not delivering you back in time," Miss Elgin said, shaking hands with Leonard and thanking him. The children waved happily at him, before leaving the hospital.

"To be honest, that place gave me the creeps..." Emma said on the way back. Regina stared pensively out in front of her, "Yeah... it did."

"What's bothering you?" Emma asked, because after nine years together she could read Regina's face like nobody else could.

"I was just thinking... what if we end up in a mental hospital when Mother Superior kicks us out of the orphanage? Because let's face it, she isn't going to keep us forever... where will we go? What will we do?"

"Hey, we'll find our way, just like we always do! And she can't throw us out before we're at least sixteen, so that's still seven years. Don't think about, worryguts. Everything's going to be fine, you'll see," Emma said, smiling at her.

As the sun was slowly setting, they made their way back to the orphanage, walking the paths between the wheat fields. Again, Regina noticed that feeling she had frequently had, when looking at Emma. This time, she saw the same tenderness in Emma's eyes, and she knew everything was alright. Everything was going to be alright. At least for now.

 

 


	5. Chapter 4

**Chapter 4**

One year later

"Kids, kids, don't slosh each other on the head with your backpacks! This isn't ancient Rome, we're not gladiators, nor soldiers! Act like civilised people already!" Rosalind Fortier cried out, jumping out of the way, when two children, chasing each other with sticks, ran by. "No-one is entering the bus when you're not calmed down! Stay still you all, I can't count you... one, two, three, four, five... six?"

It was a warm day in June, sometime after the exams, and because there was no point in keeping the pupils inside, where they just languidly hung over their desks due to the heat, the teachers of the fourth, fifth and sixth grade had decided to organise a trip to the sea. The children were elated and nothing but joy hung in the air.

"Need a hand, Rosalind?" Miss Elgin asked, breathing heavy because she was carrying a large bag filled to the brim with soft balls and Frisbees. Miss Fortier nodded. "Everyone, I want your attention, now! This bus is going to leave any minute, and whoever isn't queuing in a long row in front of me, will be left behind to do extra maths exercises!" Miss Elgin yelled.

Startled, all the children turned their heads and ran to Miss Elgin as fast ast they could. She handed the bag to Miss Fortier, who put it safely away in the boot of the bus, and took the list of names. "OK, I'm going to call out names, if you hear yours you scream back at me, and you step into the bus, is that understood?" she yelled.

"OK, Ellie? - yes -, Juliet? - yes-, Tommie? - yes-, Regina? - yes-, Emma? - yes-..." This went on for a couple of minutes, and when the last boy got on the bus, Miss Fortiet sighed: "The ease with which you handle these children..."

"You just have to love them, the rest will come. Give yourself time, you're only new in this job, and to take on a full class with no experience is a very tough and daunting challenge," Miss Elgin answered squeezing Miss Fortier's arm. "Just enjoy this day, there are no rules, not for them and neither for us. The only thing that matters is that they have fun, it's not every day they get to see the sea."

Having said this, Miss Elgin readjusted her handbag and got on the bus, Miss Fortier following quickly after her. Mister Beetle was already sat down before them, and patted on the seat next to him, when he saw Miss Fortier's distressed face. "Something tells me you're not in the same chirpy mood as everyone else," he said, as she sank down on the seat.

"It's nothing, really. Sometimes I just don't know how to deal with these children, or how to make them listen to me, but it's like Candide says, I probably just lack practice and experience. I'll be alright," Miss Fortier said, as the bus started moving.

Once the bus was driving on the motorway, Mister Beetle stood up, one knee still resting on the seat, and twisting his head a little, because the ceiling was in the way. He whistled to get attention and said: "Who is up for a little music?" Everywhere the children's hands shot in the air, and one girl shouted: "Emma Swan will sing!" which was greeted with a lot of cheering and roaring.

Emma on her part shrank deep in her seat, trying to escape from the centre of attention, but the children around her were pushing and poking her, pulling at her sleeves to stand up. "Do a rap or anything, do you know what a rap is, smarty-pants? Or is that something your books don't teach you, eh?" a boy yelled close to her ear, and she recoiled.

Mister Beetle manoeuvred through the aisle, saying: "Hey, leave her alone!" Miss Fortier sighed, covering her face with her hands, when she saw what was going on in the back of the bus and said: "Unbelievable, it's one of mine again..."

By the time Mister Beetle arrived, Regina had launched herself on the boy, and was hitting him right on the nose. She was seething and several hands were trying to tug her away, including Emma's. "Regina, it's not worth it! You're going to kill him!" she shouted, but Regina kept struggling with the boy.

The teacher roughly pulled them apart and the boy looked at Regina in horror. He screamed, while blood was seeping from his nose, "You're stark raving mad! You're nuts!" Regina's lips were drawn in a thin line, looking furiously at the boy, and she tried to lunge for his face again.

"Hey, hey, calm down! Calm down!" Mister Beetle said, holding her tightly by the waist. Miss Elgin also came running down the aisle, almost tripping over the backpacks that were strewn on the way. Because Mister Beetle was still keeping Regina in place, she pointed at the boy and yelled: "And you're a son of a bitch! Don't think I haven't noticed before how you and your stupid gang bullied Emma in the corridors! This is what you deserve," and she spat in his face.

"Regina, it's OK, look at me, it's OK," Miss Elgin said, squatting down next to her and wiping a tear from Regina's cheek. "Listen, it's great that you want to put a stop to bullying, but knocking someone over and beating him up, is not the solution," Miss Elgin said, her eyes mild and her voice soft. "Emma, are you OK?" she asked, and Emma nodded.

She was somehow touched by the fact that Regina had so quickly come to her defence, even though she thought that her reaction was a bit over the top. It was the determination that burnt in her eyes, and the way her jaw was set, entirely intent on keeping her safe, that made her smile and reminded her of how good a friend Regina was. Maybe even more than a friend... She'd read a book about an extraordinary relationship between two women, called 'The Price of Salt' by Patricia Highsmith, so she was familiar with the idea of that, but she was unsure whether this was the same thing and whether Regina felt the same way.

Miss Elgin rebuked Regina a little for what she'd done, and in the meantime Beetle chided the boy, and checked if he was OK, handing him a handkerchief for the bloody mess. As soon as the dispute was settled, the rest of the children lost their interest and returned to their casual conversations. Regina returned to her seat and Emma smiled at her, placing a hand on her knee. "Thank you, it was a little overexaggerated, but thank you."

The bus stopped close to the shore and the children eagerly ran outside. Some dispersed the moment they set foot in the sand, Miss Fortier attempting to call them back.

It was crowded on the beach, because apparently some other schools had had the exact same idea and there were all kinds of on-going activities such as beach volleyball, kiting, estafettes... Miss Elgin yelled above all the noise: "Kids! I still want five minutes of your time! First of all, you leave your bags with us, or you'll lose them! Secondly, see that beach sign over there? We will assemble there at precisely twelve o'clock! Stay in groups of minimum three, and make sure that at least one person has a watch! And finally, if someone wants an item from this bag here, you ask us first! Now go and have fun!"

"Emma, are you coming? I want to show you something, but it is rather secret," Regina said to Emma, who was standing next to her with her hands in the pockets of her jeans, thoughtfully overlooking the chaos on the beach. Emma nodded, and said, "Yeah, let's go somewhere quiet. I dreaded mingling with all of these people anyway. It's just too busy, my head is already aching from all the hullabaloo in the bus."

Together they climbed the closest dunes and went as far as needed, to be out of sight. They sat down in the warm sand, surrounded by arid shrubs, and Regina popped out a small booklet. Emma's eyes narrowed when she recognised the booklet. "You didn't?" she gasped.

"I did actually. That night I stuffed it under my arm, and the nun had not noticed the theft. I suppose it's because no-one really bothered to make a full register of all the old books in the forbidden section, besides, barely anyone sets foot in that place anymore, so even if they had listed these books, it would've gone unnoticed anyway," Regina explained, turning the booklet in her hands.

"But I didn't just take you aside to show you this booklet... This booklet contains several simple spells for everyday usage. And believe it or not, but over the past years I've kept myself busy learning these spells, initially just for fun, but last month something peculiar happened: I succeeded in performing one of these spells!"

Emma looked incredulously at Regina, arching an eyebrow. "You're kidding, right? Magic only exists in fantasy books..."

"No, apparently not, look!" Regina said, plucking the smallest of dry leaves from a nearby shrub and she wrapped her fingers around it. Then, she gradually opened her hand again and the leave graciously floated to Emma's hair, turned into a golden hair accessory and intertwined with a loose strand of her blonde hair.

Appalled, Emma's mouth fell open, as she tentatively grazed for the hairpin. "How- how did you do that? Can you teach me this? Is this some magic trick?"

"Emma, it's not just a funny gimmick, or do you honestly think I possessed a golden hairpin? I'm telling you, this is real magic, with real spells, and I couldn't teach you since I'm barely have a clue of what I'm doing to transform small objects, I-"

"Regina, magic? Tell me you're joking!..." Emma said, but Regina shook her head in earnest. "But seriously, you of all people should know better than to believe in that kind of nonsense."

"Let me do it again," Regina offered and this time she took a thin shell. "Watch," she said, as she repeated the same process. The shell floated to Emma and changed its form, wrapping itself around Emma's hair, next to the other hairpin. Emma had no other choice than to believe Regina.

"I saw that!" somebody suddenly said, and Regina and Emma scrambled to their feet. But there was no-one there. Shielding her eyes from the harsh sunlight that was reflected on the white sand, Emma surveyed the dunes behind them.

At first she didn't see anything out of the ordinary, until all of a sudden a little bit of auburn stuck out of a shrub. A snort confirmed that somebody was hiding over there and she quickly leapt to that spot, landing right next to a girl who was a few years older than them.

"I saw that, you know," the girl said, while ostentatiously chewing her gum, and flipping her hair.

"Yeah? Well... wasn't that a great trick? My friend is the best magician I know," Emma said effortlessly. "I am Emma, and that is Regina," she introduced, holding out her hand, but the girl didn't shake it.

"I'm Synthia and I don't like hanging about with nitwits like you. Tricks... what are you? Five?" Synthia laughed haughtily, turning her head away from Emma and lifting her chin in the air. "And sod off, you're in my sun."

While putting her sunglasses on her nose again, Synthia put her arms behind her head, lay back down on her bath towel and said: "Besides, that wasn't a magic trick. That was real magic. I know magic when I see it."

Regina crawled over the dune as well and said: "You believe in magic? Hm, remind me again who's five?"

"You ugly lot, of course," Synthia answered. Regina balled her fist, but Emma gripped her arm, giving her a warning look. "Magic is everywhere, people are just too stupid to perceive it, unlike me."

"But if I were you, I'd watch out with your little tricks though. Not everyone will appreciate them like I do. Actually, if I was completely righteous I would hand you over to some institution, I don't know... a mental hospital or a circus or anything, a place suitable for freaks like you. But since I am such a generous person, you little imps can go."

"Do you hear something, Emma? Because I could have sworn somebody was blathering... no? Well, it was probably the wind whispering in my ear... let's not waste any more time here," Regina said irritably, pulling Emma away.

"What an unbearable, conceited and mental bitch," Regina spluttered as they were far enough. Emma's lips twitches and she said: "Don't let her wind you up. But she had a point, though, you should take care, Regina. I mean... what you can do, is supernatural and I doubt the world will accept such anomalies."

"Anomalies?... So, you think I'm a freak as well, Emma?..." Regina asked indignantly.

"No! No! Absolutely not! I just... care too much for you, and I'm scared to death that if you would recklessly put this.. talent to use, somebody might indeed abuse that or incarcerate you... or worse, make you a peculiar curiosity for the whole world to gawk at, and I don't want that! You should stop practicing it," Emma said, hugging Regina tightly.

Unconvinced, Regina frowned deeply and took a step backwards. Emma said: "You do believe me, don't you? Regina, look at me. You have to promise me you'll quit this new hobby of yours. It won't end well," Emma pleaded, looking from Regina's eyes to her lips.

"I- I can't just stop this, Emma. It's just there, and it used to happen by accident, but I'm starting to get the hang of it. And strangely enough, it feels familiar, as though I've been destined to discover this," Regina said, turning away from Emma. "I won't make any promises, but I would like you to make one... Promise me you will never turn your back on me?"

"Never... but only if you throw that book away and at least try to suppress it," Emma answered decidedly.

"We'll see... we'll see," Regina said, looking at the horizon and the gulfs that were falling and rising, while gradually withdrawing from the shore.


End file.
